Herron, Kennedy and McDowell Collect Preseason All-America Honors from Softball America
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas softball LHP Robyn Herron, OF Dakota Kennedy, and INF Ella McDowell were all named Preseason Second-Team All-Americans by Softball America, the publication announced on Tuesday morning.
Entering her senior season, Herron has already etched her name among the program’s greats in the record books during her three seasons on The Hill. The senior left-hander ranks first in program history in career opponent batting average (.182), sixth in shutouts (11), seventh in earned run average (2.23), and eighth in wins (38). Additionally, her 10 career 10+ strikeout games are the third-most in program history, trailing only Katy Henry (2005-08, 14) and Mary Haff (2018-22, 16). Herron earned Second-Team All-America honors from both D1Softball and Softball America and was also named Second-Team All-SEC and Second-Team NFCA All-Central region in 2025 after posting a team-high 18 wins while registering an 18-7 record, with a 2.72 ERA and team-leading 160 strikeouts while limiting opposing hitters to a .195 batting average in 144.0 innings of work.
Kennedy arrives in Fayetteville after spending her freshman-junior seasons at Arizona, where she was a two-time Third-Team NFCA All-American, three-time first-team all-conference selection, three-time NFCA All-West Region selection and won the Rawlings Gold Glove Award in left field in 2024. Kennedy started 44 of Arizona’s 61 games in left field in 2025 while missing 17 games due to injury. She recorded career-highs in batting average (.444), on-base percentage (.539), slugging percentage (.689), and OPS (1.228) in 2025 while tallying 60 hits, 10 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 25 RBI, 28 walks, 48 runs scored and seven stolen bases. She posted 19 multi-hit games and five multi-RBI games, highlighted by a career-high six RBI during a 14-6 win over Western Michigan on Feb. 7. Kennedy also registered a 23-game reached-base streak from Feb. 6 to April 6. Defensively, she had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 74 putouts.
McDowell made history in 2025 by becoming the first freshman in program history to earn NFCA All-America honors when she was selected as a Third-Team NFCA All-American at third base. McDowell batted .352 with 63 hits, 10 doubles, a triple, seven home runs, 54 RBI and 21 walks to go along with a .425 on-base percentage and a .961 OPS. She was among the Arkansas leaders in hits (2nd, 63), assists (2nd, 79) and home runs (T-3rd, 7). She registered 18 multi-hit games and 14 multi-RBI games while posting a 16-game reached base streak and a seven-game hitting streak during the season. Defensively, she started the season on a 29-game errorless streak and posted a .969 fielding percentage with 79 assists and 44 putouts in 127 chances. Her .352 batting average and .425 on-base percentage were the third-highest by a freshman in program history (min. 100 AB). Additionally, she also garnered Second-Team All-SEC recognition and was a D1Softball and Softball America Freshman All-American.
Arkansas opens its 30th season of play and 11th season under the direction of head coach Courtney Deifel in Conway, S.C., at the Kickin’ Chicken Classic (Feb. 6-8). The Razorbacks will commence the season by facing Virginia (9 a.m.) and Akron (11:30 a.m.) on Friday, Feb. 6. The Hogs are coming off a 44-14 mark in 2025, which featured their eighth-consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and fourth NCAA Super Regional appearance in program history, all of which have come under Deifel’s guidance
The Razorbacks’ three Preseason All-America selections were tied for the third-most nationally alongside Oklahoma and UCLA. Texas Tech and Texas tied for the most nationally with four apiece.
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